Multiple studies have confirmed that loss of hearing can have an influence on your brain. (Just have a look at some of our past blog posts.) The good news is, it’s also been confirmed that you can restore some of that cognitive capacity by using hearing aids.
This is not to imply that hearing aids are somehow going to make you smarter. But there’s some compelling research that suggests hearing aids can enhance cognitive abilities, lowering your risk for anxiety, depression, and dementia.
Your Brain is Responsible For a Substantial Portion of Your Hearing
It’s important to recognize how large a part your brain plays in hearing if you are going to comprehend the link between your ears and cognition. That’s where the vibrations of the world are converted into the sounds of your surroundings. The regions of the brain that translate sound will suddenly have less to do when hearing starts to wane.
Combined with other variables (like social isolation), the changes in your brain (and hearing) can result in the onset of specific mental health problems. In people with neglected hearing loss, it’s not unusual to observe an increase in the chances of anxiety, depression, and dementia.
When you wear hearing aids, you’re essentially “treating” your hearing loss. That means:
- Your brain stays healthier if it continues doing work; your brain will be getting a more frequent workout in the regions responsible for hearing.
- Because you’ll be able to couple your hearing aids with regular monitoring and other treatments, you can stop your hearing from becoming progressively worse.
- You won’t be as likely to isolate yourself socially. You will be more likely to participate with others if you’re able to hear and understand conversations.
Keeping You on Your Toes
Hearing aids enhance your brain and your social life and can lessen depression, anxiety, and dementia.
- Inner ear health: Inner ear injury is not triggered by loss of hearing alone. But there is often a common cause for both loss of hearing and inner ear damage. So treating the one can help you treat the other, and in many instances, a hearing aid is a part of that treatment regimen.
- Modern technology: Some current hearing aids, when someone falls, can automatically alert emergency services. This might not prevent the fall to begin with, but it can lessen long-term injuries or complications caused by the fall.
- Building awareness: Occasionally, because you’re not mindful of your environment, you might have a fall. Diminished ability to hear can significantly lessen your situational awareness. Not only can it be challenging to hear sounds, but it can also be a challenge to determine what direction sounds are coming from. A fall or other injury can be the result.
The fact is, you’re more likely to avoid a fall when you’re using hearing aids. A hearing aid helps you stay more alert, more perceptive, and more tuned in, increasing cognitive capabilities and general health in the process.
Stop Ignoring Your Hearing Aid
We haven’t even yet addressed the basic hearing benefits of hearing aids. So when you consider that amplified hearing, factor in the mental health benefits and physical well-being, it seems as if wearing these devices should be an easy decision (not something you need to overthink).
The problem is that many people don’t know they have hearing loss. It can be difficult to recognize hearing loss when it happens slowly over time. That’s the reason it’s critical to get your hearing examined on a regular basis. Without hearing aids, hearing loss can worsen a number of of other health concerns.
Hearing aids will reduce the likelihood of physical damage while helping to delay dementia and depression. Besides helping you hear, hearing aids offer a striking number of benefits.